A critical trade show is coming up and everything is going smoothly for the event. Registrations are high, the venue and vendors are prepared and your product line is ready. Now only one question remains: how do you convert visitors into actual customers?
In this blog, we’ll share 4 tips and strategies to help you achieve this goal.
Prepare A Pre-event, During Event & Post-event Strategy
Connecting with customers doesn’t just occur during the event, but should start beforehand and continue after the event.
To establish a connection before the event, you can take advantage of your opt-in mailing lists to notify individuals of your upcoming event. If you have the resources to commit, you can also use these emails to invite people to schedule a more intimate meeting so that you can discuss your products and its benefits. You can also generate content for social media and your company’s blog to reach followers or potential customers who are not on your mailing list. Telemarketing is another tool you can take advantage of to generate buzz around the event and get people to sign up.
During the event, you can further leverage social media to connect with people who are attending or who may not yet have heard about the event. Hashtags and Instagram or Facebook stories are a great way for reaching people and keeping them up-to-date as to what is going on at the event. When it comes to sales during an event, be careful not to be too pushy, as this may turn customers off.
Post-event communication is a great way to follow up with a potential sale. Many potential customers who are hesitant to close a deal if they feel pressured by salespeople during an event, or who simply wanted time to think through their options, can still be won over simply by remaining in contact with them after the event. Email or a telemarketing service can be used to handle post-event communication.
Make Sure Your Booth Stands Out From The Crowd
Unless your trade show is entirely dedicated to your company, you’ll find yourself competing for the attention of event attendees. In this situation, having an attractive booth that draws in visitors. Simple things like good lighting, snacks and refreshments, and seating can help make your stand the place to be.
Then there’s the actual design of the booth, which should avoid a cluttered aesthetic. This can be achieved with limited video displays, a focus on a few large and strong images, and promotional content that makes use of a limited copy that best captures your companies messaging.
Location, Location, Location
There’s nothing worse than being assigned to a low-traffic area at a trade show. Try to ensure you are close (but not too close) to an entrance or restroom, or on the corner of the main aisle, as this is where people usually stop before deciding on their next step. If possible, you should look at foot traffic for previous events to see if there is a high traffic trend that you can take advantage of. Finally, you should also ask as to who has set up where, as you may want to avoid competing with larger organisations who have a far greater budget and could overshadow you.
These assessments should be done as early as possible so that you can secure a good spot as the majority of trade show hosts assign locations on a first come, first served basis.
Have Sufficiently Experienced Staff Manning Your Booth
If you’ve successfully managed to get the attention of a visitor, the first impression they get from your staff at your booth can make or break a deal. Nothing turns a customer away quicker than an employee at a booth who is unable to deliver a reasonable level of service, or who is not adequately knowledgeable about your product line. Ensure you have experienced staff who have the required training to interact with people, know your products inside out and are successful when it comes to closing a sale.
These 4 tips are just a few of the ways you can grab the attention of a visitor, and ensure their successful conversion into a customer.
If you are interested in optimising your message to ensure you reach your audience and that your event is a success, be sure to download our ebook Strategies For Maximising The Impact Of Event Communication. If you have additional queries regarding event communication and how our services can be of assistance, be sure to contact us today.
